Amanda Boyer/Photography Editor
The volleyball team is currently on a four-game winning streak and will look to make it five straight games against the Providence Friars on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Pirates’ confidence is riding high from the comeback victory against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders after being down two sets and winning the next three sets. The team was led by senior Shelbey Manthorpe, who had 53 assists to go along with nine digs and six kills. Juniors Molly Grammer and Amanda Hansen played a part in the comeback win. Grammer finished with a team-high 14 kills and Hansen added another 13 kills.
“We played really well last game,” head coach Allison Yaeger said. “We did not play well in the first two sets against Middle Tennessee State, but then I would say it was the best volleyball we had played going into those next three games. The reason we won is our defense and our serve receive and we continue to set everybody when our serve receive is on.”
Even after Saturday’s win over the Blue Raiders, the Pirates always have improvements to make. The Pirates will look to improve their ball movement and their serve-receive game in between matches. These two aspects are the key in winning any match and the Pirates will look to exploit them against the Friars.
“Our game plan for everyone this year is we need to pass well,” coach Yaeger said. “Serve receives are our biggest issue. When we are on we’re on and when our serve receive is off we can’t run our offense. Our serve receive is definitely the key.”
Every match is not easy, especially against a team like Providence. Even with a game plan set, not everything goes according to plan. Senior Stacey Manthorpe and junior Molly Grammer are players that the team could lean on. Manthorpe and Grammer are currently first and third on the team in total kills, respectively.
“We struggle when our serve receive is off and then we just have to chuck the ball to Stacy Manthorpe or Molly Grammer on the back and the blockers on the other side know where we are going,” coach Yaeger said. It’s key to everyone on including Shelbey Manthorpe, setting the ball and getting a good ball to pin hitters, making the middles work hard, transition, and put balls away.”
Individual performance are important to winning every match including the next. However, the team playing as a unit with every player working and playing hard is what earns the Pirates victories.
“We are a good team when are on and when we are on it is because everyone is contributing,” coach Yaeger said. “Everyone contributes on this team and that’s a huge factor.”
Javon Glenn can be reached at javon.glenn@student.shu.edu or on twitter @javong25. For complete coverage of Seton Hal athletics, follow @setoniansports.
